The Hotel Report: La Reserve Paris, Grand Hyatt Taipei, and What to Expect in Myanmar

Your weekly roundup of the best of what’s new, what’s coming up, and what we can’t wait for in the world of hotels, from Conde Nast Traveler hotels expert John Wogan.

Incoming

The Jacques Garcia-designed La Reserve opened this month in a Haussmann-style mansion in the eighth arrondisement. With only 40 rooms, it’s a quiet alternative to the big-name openings and renovations (like The Peninsula and The Plaza Athenee) that have been grabbing all the attention over the past year. In addition to a three-treatment room spa, there’s Le Gabriel—the property’s seasonal French restaurant—and a 52-foot indoor swimming pool.

On Our Radar

French crystal company Baccarat opens one of Manhattan’s most anticipated hotels next month on West 53rd Street (directly across from MoMA) in a brand-new Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed glass tower. It’ll house 114 guest rooms, a La Mer spa (the first for the brand in the U.S.), and a restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Shea Gallante.

In Development

Hotel companies are responding to the new tourist traffic in Myanmar (which, in the past couple years, has become one of the hottest destinations in Southeast Asia), with new properties opening or in development, including the 95-room Sanctum Inle Resort, debuting in March on Inle Lake—the country’s second largest and one of the top draws (along with the temples of Bagan) for its floating villages and pristine countryside. And in the capital of Yangon, The Peninsula will take over the former Burma Railway Station to open what will surely be the most luxurious hotel in the city (though an exact date hasn’t yet been determined).

The Re-Do

March also marks the unveiling of the Grand Hyatt Taipei’s top-to-bottom renovation, coinciding with the property’s 25th anniversary. All 853 guest rooms and all nine of the property’s restaurants and bars received a makeover. The massive renovation (along with the opening of the Mandarin Oriental Taipei last May) is just one indication of Taipei’s buzzy energy right now.